Meaning & use
sticky
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Likely to cling to things, usually because covered with something gluey, sweet or wet.
Grammar: Goes before a noun or after be or get: sticky fingers, the table is sticky.
Patterns
- sticky with something
My hands were sticky with jam.
The floor was sticky after the party.
Be careful, the paint is still sticky.
adjectivecomparableinformal
Hot and damp in a way that feels uncomfortable.
Grammar: Used for weather or air: a sticky afternoon.
Patterns
- a sticky night
It was a hot, sticky night with no breeze.
The air felt sticky before the storm.
adjectivecomparableinformal
Awkward, difficult or embarrassing to deal with.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: a sticky situation.
Patterns
- a sticky situation
- a sticky problem
He found himself in a sticky situation after missing the deadline.
The negotiations hit a sticky patch.
Politics can be a sticky subject at dinner.
adjectivecomparablebusiness
Hard to move, change or get rid of, as with a habit or a price.
Grammar: Used in business for things that resist change: sticky prices.
Patterns
- sticky prices
Wages are sticky and rarely fall in a downturn.
A sticky habit is hard to break.
Word forms
| comparative | stickier |
|---|---|
| superlative | stickiest |
Common combinations
- sticky fingers
- The toddler left sticky fingers on the window.
- sticky note
- She wrote a reminder on a sticky note.
- sticky situation
- They found themselves in a sticky situation.
- sticky rice
- We served the mango with sticky rice.
- sticky tape
- He fixed the poster with sticky tape.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tacky
- Tacky means slightly sticky, as paint is before it dries, but also means cheap-looking.
- gooey
- Gooey stresses a soft, messy texture, while sticky is about clinging.
- humid
- Humid describes damp air only, without the clinging feeling of sticky.
- awkward
- Awkward is the plain word for a difficult situation, while sticky implies a trap-like difficulty.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: sticky or tacky? sticky or sticking?
sticky vs tacky
Tacky can mean slightly sticky or cheap and in poor taste, while sticky only describes clinging.
sticky vs sticking
Sticking is an action; sticky is the state.
Practice
Which sentence uses sticky in its sense of 'difficult to deal with'?
Choose one answer.
A sticky problem is an awkward one. The other sentences use sticky literally, for clinging or damp heat.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sticky”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.